After the Bruins lost to Pittsburgh Saturday at TD Garden, coach Claude Julien commended his team’s effort and lamented the club’s inability to once again score enough goals to make the performance result in two points.

Julien also took exception to the play of a couple Penguins who’ve been getting under the Bruins’ skin for years now.

Late in the second period, Penguins forward Matt Cooke — who’s mostly made his name for his hobbling hit on Marc Savard and several suspensions against for acts against other teams over the years — hit Adam McQuaid low in the neutral zone on a dump-in. Cooke turned his back as his made contact with McQuaid’s leg. The Boston defenseman left the game and returned to play the third period. Zdeno Chara picked up a roughing penalty for going after Cooke.

The Penguins took the lead on a Jarome Iginla power-play goal after Brad Marchand was called for roughing. Marchand tried to fight Jussi Jokinen, but all the Boston wing accomplished was pulling Jokinen’s sweater over his head because the Penguins forward wouldn’t accept the fight invitation.

For the game, the Bruins allowed two goals on six Pittsburgh power plays. Julien didn’t fault his team’s penalties in the above-mentioned situations.

“We took some penalties,” Julien said. “But it’s pretty obvious that it’s a cheap shot from Cooke. The typical, same guy, he’s got to go low, get a guy right around the knee area and turns his back. And the same thing, Jokinen’s been having his stick high all game and the guys eventually get it. You always hope you have people that will see those kind of things and call it right. And that’s not in our control.”